Lesson 25 Non-auditory effects of noise 噪音的非听觉效应

First listen and then answer the following question.

听录音,然后回答以下问题。

What conclusion does the author draw about noise and health in this piece?

Many people in industry and the Services, who have practical experience of noise, regard any investigation of this question as a waste of time; they are not prepared even to admit the possibility that noise affects people. On the other hand, those who dislike noise will sometimes use most inadequate evidence to support their pleas for a quieter society. This is a pity, because noise abatement really is a good cause, and it is likely 5 to be discredited if it gets to be associated with bad science.

One allegation often made is that noise produces mental illness. A recent article in a weekly newspaper, for instance, was headed with a striking illustration of a lady in a state of considerable distress, with the caption 'She was yet another victim, reduced to a screaming wreck'. On turning eagerly to the text, one learns that the lady was a typist who found the sound of office typewriters worried her more and more until

10 eventually she had to go into a mental hospital. Now the snag in this sort of anecdote is of course that one cannot distinguish cause and effect. Was the noise a cause of the illness, or were the complaints about noise merely a symptom? Another patient might equally well complain that her neighbours were combining to slander her and persecute her, and yet one might be cautious about believing this statement.

What is needed in the case of noise is a study of large numbers of people living under noisy conditions, 15 to discover whether they are mentally ill more often than other people are. Some time ago the United States Navy, for instance, examined a very large number of men working on aircraft carriers: the study was known as Project Anehin. It can be unpleasant to live even several miles from an aerodrome; if you think what it must be like to share the deck of a ship with several squadrons of jet aircraft, you will realize that a modern navy is a good place to study noise. But neither psychiatric interviews nor objective tests were able to show 20 any effects upon these American sailors. This result merely confirms earlier American and British studies: if there is any effect of noise upon mental health, it must be so small that present methods of psychiatric diagnosis cannot find it. That does not prove that it does not exist; but it does mean that noise is less dangerous than, say, being brought up in an orphanage - which really is a mental health hazard.

D. E. BroadBENT Non-auditory effects of noise from Science Survey

New words and expressions 生词和短语

auditory (title) / 'oxdIt ari/ adj. 听觉的 inadequate (1.3) /In 'ædɪkwɪt/ adj. 不适当的 plea (1.4) $/\mathrm$ : $/n$ . 要求 abatement (1.4) /? ’beitmənt/ $n$ . 减少 discredit (1.5) /dis’kredɪt/ v. 怀疑 allegation (1.6) $/$ ælɪ'ɡeɪʃən/ $n$ . 断言 caption (1.8) $/\prime k \mathrel{\text{æp}} \int a\mathrm{n}/n$ . 插图说明 wreck (1.8) /rek/ n. 残废人

snag (1.10) $/\mathrm æ \mathrm{g}/n$ . 疑难之处,障碍

anecdote (1.10) $/$ ’ænɪkdəʊt/ $n$ . 轶闻

slander (1.13) $/$ ’slɑːndə/ $v$ . 诽谤

persecute (1.13)/’pɜːsɪkjuːt/v. 迫害

squadron (1.18) $/$ ’skwɒdrən/ $n$ . 中队

psychiatric (1.19) / saɪki'ætrɪk/ adj. 精神病学的

diagnosis (1.22) ${I}_{1}$ daɪəɡ'nəʊsɪs $/n$ .诊断

orphanage (1.23) $/\cos \theta = \sin \theta \sin \phi /n$ . 孤儿院

Unit 4 Lesson 25

An American aircraft carrier

Notes on the text 课文注释

1 the Services, 军队。

2 On turning eagerly to the text, one learns that ...

句中 on 的意思是 on the occasion of, directly after (当时, 随后)。

3 aircraft carrier, 航空母舰。

4 That does not prove that it does not exist; but it does mean that ... 句中出现的 3 个 does 的语法功能并不相同, 前两个 does 是一般现在时的否定式使用的助动词, 第 3 个 does 则是强调用法, 有强化句意的作用。

参考译文

在工业部门工作和在军队中服役的许多人对噪音有切身的体会,他们认为对这个问题进行调查是浪费时间,甚至不愿承认噪音可能对人有影响。另一方面,那些讨厌噪音的人有时会用不充分的证据来支持他们希望有一个较为安静的社会环境的要求。要求减少噪音确实是件好事, 但是如果与拙劣的科学掺杂在一起的话, 就不会被人们所信任, 这是很遗憾的。

常见的一种指责是, 噪音能引起精神病。例如, 最近一家周报刊登了一篇文章, 文章上方有一幅引人注目的插图,是一位表情沮丧的女子。图的文字说明是:“她是又一个受害者,成了只会尖叫的可怜虫。” 当人们急切地看完正文后, 便知道这位女子是个打字员, 办公室打字机的声音使她越来越烦恼, 最终住进了精神病医院。这类奇闻的疑难之处是无法区别因果关系。是噪音引起了 (精神) 病呢, 还是 (精神) 病的症状之一是对噪音的抱怨? 另有一位病人可能同样有理由抱怨说, 她的邻居们正在联合起来对她进行诽谤和迫害, 不过, 人们不会轻信她的抱怨。

对于噪音问题,需要对大量生活在噪音中的人进行研究,看一看他们是否比其他人更易患精神病。例如,美国海军前些时候调查了许多在航空母舰上工作的人,这次调查被称之为:“安内英工程”。即使住在离机场几英里以外的地方, 机场的噪音也会使人难受。因此, 如果你能想像出和几个中队的喷气机同在一个甲板上是什么滋味儿的话,你就会认识到现代海军是研究噪音的好地方。但是,不管是进行精神病学的调查访问,还是进行客观的测试, 都不能显示噪音对这些美国水兵有任何影响。这个结果只不过证实了美国和英国早些时候的研究结论: 如果噪音对精神健康有影响的话, 那也一定是微乎其微, 以致现代的精神病诊断方法还发现不了。这并不是 Unit 4 Lesson 25 证实不存在噪音对健康的影响。但它确实说明,噪音的危险性——比如说——比在孤儿院长大所受的危害要小一些,孤儿院才是真正危害精神健康的地方。

Comprehension 理解

Answer these questions:

1 What does the author mean by the statement 'Noise abatement really is a good cause, and it is likely to be discredited if it gets to be associated with bad science.'? (11.4-5)

2 Why is a modern navy a good place to study noise?

Vocabulary 词汇

Refer to the text to see how the following words have been used, then write sentences of your own using these words: investigation (1.1); inadequate evidence (1.3); abatement (1.4); allegation (1.6); snag (1.10); cautious (1.13); hazard (1.23).

Summary 摘要

A Drawing your information from the first two paragraphs (lines 1-13), write a list of points in note form outlining the author's argument about noise abatement.

B Using this list of points, reconstruct the author's argument in not more than 90 words. Your answer should be in one paragraph.

Composition 作文

Write a composition of about 300 words on the following subject: Noise in modern life.

You may use some or all of the ideas given below if you wish:

1 We have grown accustomed to living and working against a background of noise: traffic in the streets; machines in the factory; office equipment; labour-saving devices in the home; aeroplanes overhead.

2 In a modern industrial society, hardly any place is free from noise; in cities, the problem is acute.

3 Many people learn to live against this background and do not seem to be affected.

4 Some people even seem to require noise as a necessary condition in which to work: e.g. music as a constant background.

5 We seem to be helpless to do anything about noise and have come to accept it as one of the more unpleasant features of modern civilization.

Key structures 关键句型

A Study this sentence:

Many people in industry and the Services, who have practical experience of noise, regard any investigation of this question as a waste of time. (ll.1-2)

Expand the following sentences by inserting suitable clauses beginning with who or which after the words in italics:

1 Many roads _____ were not built for such heavy traffic.

2 The heavy snow _____ has now begun to melt.

Unit 4 Lesson 25

3 The party of tourists _____ left this morning.

4 The clerk _____ apologized for the mistake.

B Compare these two sentences:

Instead of saying: One allegation that is often made is that noise produces mental illness.

We can say: One allegation often made is that noise produces mental illness. (1.6)

Write sentences using the following phrases:

frequently seen; sometimes heard; generally considered.

C Note the use of yet in these sentences:

1 Has he come yet?

2 I haven't seen him yet.

3 She was yet another victim. (1.8)

Write three sentences using yet in the ways shown above.

D Compare these two sentences:

Instead of saying: When one turns eagerly to the text, one learns that the lady was a typist.

We can say: On turning eagerly to the text, one learns that the lady was a typist. (11.8-9)

Write these sentences again so that each one begins with ${On}$ :

1 When I opened the door, I got a surprise.

2 When he saw me approaching, he ran towards me.

3 When he was asked to leave the meeting, he got very angry.

4 When she arrived at the station, she bought a ticket.

E Write sentences using the following expressions:

reduced to (1.8); cause of (1.11); complaints about (1.11); cautious about (1.13); share with (1.18); effects upon (1.21);

methods of (1.21).

Special difficulties 难点

A Study the following pairs of words and then write sentences of your own to bring out the difference.

1 regard (I.1) - look at

I don't regard a degree as a meal ticket for life.

Just look at those children picking apples.

2 affect (1.2) - effect (1.27)

This hay fever is seriously affecting my work.

This hay fever is having a serious effect on my work.

3 plea (1.4) - please

The accused man entered a plea of Not Guilty.

I only got married to please my parents.

4 objective (1.19) - objection

I need an objective opinion from someone who is not involved. (adjective)

The objective of this meeting is to decide who will represent us on the Planning Committee. (noun)

If no one has any objection, I'll declare the meeting closed.

Unit 4 Lesson 25

5 confirm (1.20) - assure

I can confirm that the door was located. (= say it is true)

I went back to assure myself that I really had locked the door. (= make myself confident)

B The opposites of these words are to be found in the passage. What are they? like; adequate; credit; pleasant.

C Explain the meaning of the verbs and expressions in italics:

1 It does mean that noise is less dangerous than, say, being brought up in an orphanage-which really is a mental health hazard. (ll.22-23)

2 The question was recently brought up in Parliament.

3 The boxer was knocked out in the first round. It took a long time to bring him round.

4 The whole scene brought back the days of my childhood.

5 Their wonderful performance brought down the house.

6 Can you bring to mind what happened on the fourth of July?

7 Difficult conditions will sometimes bring out a man's best qualities.

Multiple choice questions 多项选择题

Choose the correct answers to the following questions.

Comprehension 理解

1 The reduction of noise is a good cause and it's important to _____ .

(a) understand that noise affects people

(b) understand the people who dislike noise

(c) make sure we have a quieter society

(d) prevent it from getting a bad name

2 Stories like the one about the typist _____.

(a) help us to understand the effects of noise

(b) do not help us to understand the effects of noise

(c) show how noise can produce mental illness

(d) cause considerable distress

3 Project Anehin provided an opportunity to _____ .

(a) study the effects of noise on a large number of people

(b) consider what life is like on aircraft carriers

(c) conclude that noise has bad effects on people

(d) explore the workings of the United States Navy

4 Project Anehin proved that noise _____.

(a) has no ill effects at all

(b) is less dangerous than being brought up in an orphanage

(c) is really bad for the health

(d) doesn't appear to have any bad effects Unit 4 Lesson 25

Structure 句型

5 _____ you turned eagerly to the text ... (1.8)

(a) As (b) $\mathrm$ (c) While (d) When

6 Eventually, she _____ go into a mental hospital. (1.10)

(a) will go (b) should go (c) was obliged to (d) made to

7 What is needed is a study of large numbers to discover they are ill. (II.14-15)

(a) if (b) unless (c) in case (d) lest

8 Noise is _____ dangerous _____ being brought up in an orphanage. (II.22-23)

(a) not ... as (b) not so ... than (c) not so ... as (d) no as ... as

Vocabulary 词汇

9 It is _____ that noise abatement could be discredited. (II.4-5)

(a) perhaps (b) acceptable (c) certain (d) probable

10 _____ she had to go into a mental hospital. (1.10)

(a) At least (b) In the end (c) At the finish (d) In fact

11 Now the _____ in this sort of anecdote is ... (1.10)

(a) case (b) knot (c) difficulty (d) weakness

12 This result merely _____ earlier American and British studies. (1.20)

(a) verifies (b) certifies (c) exemplifies (d) certificates